Eastern PA hikes?

vftt.org

Help Support vftt.org:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Waumbek

New member
Joined
Oct 27, 2004
Messages
1,890
Reaction score
209
Location
Avatar: "World's Windiest Place" Stamp (5/27/06)
Can anyone suggest good dayhikes with views within an hour or so of Milford PA for this weekend? This would be for a group of four fit but inexperienced hikers with good common sense but limited gear (no crampons etc). The hikes could be anywhere from 2-5 hours. I don't know how far the Del Water Gap is from Milford. Also, can anyone comment on conditions in this area? Are there online maps for hikes in this area, or info centers? Thanks in advance.
 
My recommendation is to take US 206 East/southeast into NJ to Culvers Gap to Stokes Forest Office. Make a left and go to the end of Coursen Road to parking at Kittle Field. Follow wood road up to a myriad of trails and get on Tower Trail (green). Take to the Normanook Fire Tower. Now follow the AT north past Sunrise Mountain picnic pavilion. Make left on old woods road and folow across South Mountain Road and return using Cartwright Trail to Swenson Trail (red) past cabin and back to Kittle Field. You might also want to explore the area near your car for the Silver Mine ruins. For a good map of the area get NY/NJ Trail Conference Maps #17 & #18 of the North Kittatinny Trails.
 
You have many options for hikes. If you want views you have to stick to the Kittatinny,s. Delaware Water Gap (The actual Gap)is about 45 minutes to the south but the Delaware Water Gap NPS also wrapes around the town of Milford.. You can also hike Stokes State Forest or High Point State Park in NJ. Both parks join each other and is about 5 -15 minutes away from Milford The water gap also joins Stokes. This gives you over 100,000 acres of area to explore and is anywhere from 5 -45 minutes away Depending on where you want to start. There are also a few great spots on the PA side and within the Delaware Water Gap.
A few great hikes are

- PEEC (Pocono Environmental ed center. Here is a great trail system with views and waterfalls. It is about 15-20 minutes south of Milford on rt 209. Their should be maps of the trails at the center. If you combine all the trails you can get a great 8+ mile loop hike. To make the loop start on the Sunrise trail to Fossil trail to Tumbling waters trail to the start.

-Another option a little closer to Milford and on the PA side is the Canashaugh trail. It is very underused trail and ment for horse back riding but can be hiked is is great. It is a double loop with a connecter trail connecting the loops. Total miles is around 11.7 or you can shorten it by doing the larger loop. Try this site for the trail map http://www.nps.gov/dewa/planyourvisit/horsebackriding.htm If you dont have luck do a search for the Del water gap and search for conashaugh trail.

- In NJ you can hike the Iris and AT loop. From Milford take rt 209 south. Make left onto rt 206 milford bridge to NJ. Hang left onto rt 650 east. Take through High Point, go past Sawmill road (closed in winter). Come to AT crossing. PArk in lot on left. You can do a 9 mile hike using the AT and Iris trails. The At and Iris cross over each other three times. You can shorten it if you want. There is a map in the lot with the trails.

- You can also hike Stokes. The best place to sart is a by the park headquarters. Take rt 209 south cross over bridge for rt 206 south. Take until you see sign for Stokes office. About 15-20 minutes. Make left into office lot and follow signs for Stony Lake. Park at the lot at lake and here you get access to all their trails. Trail miles range from 3 mile loops to 10+ and great views.

- Also at Stokes and one of my faverite is the southern end of stokes where it joins the water gap. Go past the Stokes office entrance on 206. Go past gas arama gas station. Make the left onto Upper North shore and park in the culvers gap lot. Take the AT south to the brinks shelter. Go past shelter on Brinks rd (not a paved road more a woods rd) Make right onto woods rd take to the jacobs ladder trail Blue and green markers on right. This will take you back to the AT follow the AT back to the car. It is a loli pop loop but very nice and 8 miles.

- One last option is the Buttermilk falls trail in the Del water gap. You can do a great loop up the falls trail to hemlock pond or blue mt lakes. Miles can range anywhere from 4 miles to 10+ This is harder to get to and little more romote. Best bet is to get the maps or go to the localhikes site for more info.

I will stop here, hope I did not confuse you too muck By the way there is no snow on the ground. Very bad winter here as well crampons or snowshoes wont be an issue. Good luck and let me know how you make out.

If you can pick up the Kittatinny trail maps usually sold and high point or stokes office. I also posted a bunch of these hikes in www.localhikes.com

Hope this helps some. Personally I think Stokes has the best hiking
 
Last edited:
When I was growing up we loved to hike up to Sunfish Pond from the Delaware Water Gap. I think this link should get you to a map of this hike and many others in the area probably referenced in the detailed previous post.

We also loved to hike in Ricketts Glen State Park which is about 20 miles west of Scranton and obvious on the map. There is one basic hike in this park where you can park and do a sort of loop up one side of an absolutely beautiful ravine with waterfalls, etc. and down the other. About 7-8 miles round trip total I think and a very special place.
 
Rickett's Glen is about 2 hours from Milford. It is as nice a hike as you'll ever find. A little over 5 miles if you start at the southern end, hike up one side across the top, and back down the other side. But if its icy its extremely treacherous. Its been warm down here lately so I don't suspect that's the case but you could call ahead if so inclined. Its a little far from your starting point. You'd spend a full day with travel.
 
Last edited:
Top